Truck overloading escalates as cost-cutting measure

Truckers are resorting to extreme measures to cut costs as the economic crisis deepens. According to Malcolm Sodalay, chairman of the Durban harbour carriers’ division of the SA Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff) in KwaZulu Natal (KZN), some of them are doubling their payload and in most instances loading two 20-foot (6-metre) containers when their gross mass limit only justifies carrying one box. The association has, however, appealed to the others in the freight chain to help stop this practice – discussing the matter with its own members, clearing and forwarding (C&F) companies, warehouses and Transnet, the port terminals operator. All are being asked to enforce the same rules of legal, moral and social responsibility. “Simply put,” said Sodalay, “if Transnet terminals and warehouses refuse to offload or load an overloaded road vehicle, these dangerous lunatics that call themselves road transporters will be forced to operate legally.” In a letter to Solly Letsoalo, chief operations officer of the container sector of Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), hauliers admit that there are rogues in the trucking trade, but call for co-operation from others in the freight chain to play their part in stamping out the menace. In the letter, the association offered its help in training the relevant Transnet staff to be able to comply with the Road Transport Act’s limitations on vehicle weights. Said Sodalay: “We are prepared to consider training or sharing information with your staff that will help them understand basic norms regarding loading and carrying capacity of vehicles. “The ethos of our association is to strive to be part of the solution, and as road transporters with a moral and social obligation to protect lives, as well as road infrastructure, we give you our assurance that we are anxious to work with you to eradicate dangerous and unethical practices. “We are aware of transporters who illegally load their vehicles and breach the legislation pertaining to legal mass in terms of carrying capacity. It is apparent, as evidenced by complaints from our membership, that unethical transporters are resorting more frequently to unacceptable practices.” The reason for the practice, said the association, is the downturn in the economy. “Lower container volumes and delays means it is now survival time,” Sodalay added, “and the only way to survive is to cut costs.” But, while the easiest way for a transporter to do this is to become more productive, some truckers are taking this to extremes.